Paternity Leave and Paternity Pay: Take-up

(asked on 10th March 2026) - View Source

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps his Department is taking to increase uptake of statutory paternity leave and pay.


Answered by
Kate Dearden Portrait
Kate Dearden
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This question was answered on 16th March 2026

This Government is committed to strengthening rights for working parents. From April, Paternity Leave will become a day‑one right, removing qualifying periods that currently prevent 32,000 fathers a year from accessing it.

We also know that more can be done to support working parents. The ongoing Parental Leave and Pay Review is examining all parental leave entitlements, including Paternity Leave and Pay.

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